Men's Basketball

Seniors Hogue and Joel to Play in All-Star Game Hosted by Caltech on Saturday

Apr 22, 2015

PASADENA, Calif. (Apr. 22, 2015) - The Caltech men's basketball program will host the third annual SoCal Senior Showcase, an all-star game for NCAA DII and DIII members, on Saturday, Apr. 25. The contest features the top seniors from California colleges and universities, specifically from the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) and the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA).

Caltech Head Coach Dr. Oliver Eslinger and his staff created the event in 2013 in order to promote small-college basketball in the state and to provide another opportunity for seniors interested in playing professionally to showcase their abilities.

"When I was in New England, I coached a college senior all-star team and it was a great experience for me professionally," Eslinger said. "More than that, though, I saw how thrilled the players were to wear their college uniforms one more time in front of friends and families."

The SoCal Showcase pits a DII all-star team against the DIII all-stars. Last year, the DII team won a competitive contest. William Overton (San Francisco State) scored a game-high 25 points for the DII group while Alonzo Young (La Verne) and Jeremy Sulker-Hall (Cal Lutheran) each scored 20 for the DIII squad. Ronn See, now an assistant at Caltech upon completion of an all-conference career at La Verne, played in the 2014 showcase.

"After battling against these guys for four years, you get to come together and go against some of the best DII players California has to offer," See said. "It's just an awesome experience."

This year, Caltech assistant Dave Briski will coach the DII team and See will pace the DIII bench. The format will consist of four 12-minute periods and a 24-second shot clock.

"The idea is to make it a fast-paced game, one with lots of excitement," Eslinger added, "We want to give these guys a chance to play alongside one another."

Caltech did not have any seniors last year, but this season two-year captains Bryan Joel and Andrew Hogue will play in the game.

"I'm excited for the opportunity to get a chance to meet and play with these guys," Joel said. "It's a nice end to our collegiate careers."

The game will feature student-athletes from 12 different institutions and begins at 4:00 p.m. in Caltech's Braun Gymnasium. General admission is $5 and $2 for students with ID. Roster and directions are on socalseniorshowcase.blogspot.com.